Lucknow7 hours agoAuthor: Rajesh Sahu
Four major buildings of Lucknow will now become hotels. These buildings which are more than 200 years old have turned into ruins. The tourism department is now preparing to give a new direction by improving their condition. His decision will increase the earning of the department. After the hotel or palace is built, these buildings will have luxurious weddings like the royal buildings of Rajasthan. Tourism will get a boost.
Dainik Bhaskar’s team reached to see the condition of these buildings. Know its history by meeting the officials of the Archaeological Department. Know the plan for its grooming through the tourism department. Let’s know everything.
Before knowing the condition and history of the buildings, let us know the ongoing activities…
Royal buildings now handed over to tourism department
There are a total of five buildings within 500 meters in Kaiserbagh, Lucknow, namely Badi Chattar Manzil, Roshan-ud-daula Kothi, Kothi Gulistan-e-Iram, Kothi Darshan Vilas and Farhad Bux Kothi. All the 4 buildings except Farhad Bux Kothi have been handed over from the Archeology Department to the Tourism Department. Now the responsibility of its maintenance is of the tourism department.
The office of the Archaeological Department is next to the Chattar Manzil. Earlier there used to be maintenance from here.
Renu Dwivedi, director of the archeology department, said, earlier these buildings were with our department, so we were maintaining them. Now these buildings have been de-notified, now the responsibility of this is with the tourism department. The tourism department will decide what will happen in these buildings in the future.
We reached the office of the tourism department to know how these buildings would be further improved. There a madam told, after getting approval from the department, we have sent this proposal for cabinet approval. If approval is received there, then after that approval will be received in the Finance Department, Labor Ministry. Then the whole department will hold a meeting regarding this and decide how these buildings should be built.
Madam further says, all this is not a matter of two-four days. It will take time now. It has to be developed in PPP model. After getting consent from everywhere, proposals will be sought from people. In this proposal, there can be things like hotel, palace, museum or library. The department will hold a meeting regarding these things and then whatever is best will be stamped. E-tenders will be taken out for that, whichever person gets it, then he will make it according to his own.
Preparation to develop on the lines of Rajasthan
Rajasthan is currently the first choice for royal weddings. The echo of shehnai is often heard here in the forts, grand havelis and palaces located in Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. People are spending crores of rupees for marriage here. Similarly, Badi Chattar Manzil, Roshan-ud-daula Kothi, Kothi Gulistan-e-Iram and Darshan Vilas will be developed here.
The basic difference between the buildings of Rajasthan and these buildings of Lucknow is that the system there is private. Only the tourism department will have the right on the buildings here. There will be no change in its architecture. Those who will get it through e-tender will get the ownership right only for a limited time. However, no order has been issued on what will be its process, for how many years it will be given.
Through this graphic, you can see where royal weddings take place in Rajasthan.
Till now you have come to know about the ongoing action in this matter. Now let’s know about these buildings.
The film was shot in Badi Chattar Manzil
Badi Chattar Manzil is one of the special buildings of UP. The structure of this 238-year-old building is special, located on Mahatma Gandhi Marg, in front of the old building of the High Court. Its ground floor also has two floors. However, it is visible only when the water level of the Gomti river passing by becomes very low. In ancient times, two telescopes were installed on the roof of this building, from which astronomical studies were done.
When the country became independent, this building was handed over to the Central Drug Research Institute. The office remained here for about 60 years but when the condition of the building deteriorated, the CDRI office was changed from it. In 2016, the film Jolly LLB was shot here. Then this building was converted into a court. Even today its inside structure looks like a court.
In 2019, the Archaeological Department started digging in the lower part of this building, then it found a 42 feet long and 11 feet wide gondla boat. It is believed that through this boat, the Nawab used to travel somewhere through the river.
The Nawab built a mansion for his prime minister
Roshanuddaula Kothi is just opposite to Kaiserbagh bus station. It was built around 1835 by Naseeruddin Haider, the second Nawab of Awadh. Taj-ud-din Muhammad Hussain Khan was the prime minister of Awadh from 1832 to 1837 during the reign of Nasiruddin Haider. Nawab used to give him a salary of 25 thousand rupees at that time. Along with this, 5 lakh rupees were given annually for the maintenance of the rest of the buildings. Nawab was pleased with his tenure and gave him the title of Roshan-ud-Daulah. Since then this building was named Roshan-ud-daula Kothi.
Roshan-ud-daula Kothi was built in the Indo-French style. Its basic form is rectangular. There is a big verandah inside. Where the Prime Minister himself used to hold meetings. The balconies in it are small. There are stairs all around the building. The weight of the building is supported by smaller beams on a larger beam. Although the walls were not made as wide in this as in the rest of the buildings. In 1860, the British took it under their control and then made it an office. When the country became independent, the office of the Archaeological Department was made in it. It was repaired some time ago.
Nawab built Darshan Vilas Kothi for the queens to live
When Ghaziuddin Haider, the first Nawab of Awadh, died in 1827, his son Naseeruddin Haider became the new Nawab. Naseeruddin liked luxury. Most of his time was spent with women and his foreign friends. When it was built in 1836, it was named Qudsia Mahal. Qudsia Begum was the wife of Nawab Naseeruddin. Along with him, three more wives of the Nawab lived in this palace.
The designing dome of this palace shows its grandeur. Historian Roshan Taki says, “Earlier this Kothi was a part of Chhoti Chattar Manzil, but when the Chhoti Chattar Manzil ceased to exist, its name was also changed to Darshan Vilas.” Engineers used to live in this palace when the British came. When the country became independent, the government of UP gave it to the Directorate of Medical Health. For a long time there was an office in it. But it was vacated due to dilapidation.
In 2018, considering it as a part of its smart city, the government had talked about reforms and got the work done. But these works proved to be insufficient, so the situation remained as it was.
Gulistan-e-Iram was full of means of entertainment
Opposite the Darshan Vilas building is the Gulistan-e-Iram. This was such a building of the Nawabs, in which all the means of entertainment were present. It had a big library. Along with religious books, political books from all over the world were also kept in that library. Nawabs used to sit here and discuss for hours. One of the reasons for this was that the building was made of terracotta bricks which kept the palace cool in the summer.
The architecture of this nearly 200-year-old building reflects both European and Mughal styles. Safes made of solid iron were made in it. It is believed that the Nawab used to keep his royal treasury in it. This building was badly damaged during the Revolt of 1857. When the country became independent, the government handed it over to the State Health Department. But when the condition started deteriorating, it was evacuated.
When the government got it repaired, it came to know about many underground tunnels. Historians tell that one kothi was connected to another kothi through these tunnels. The wives of the Nawabs used to come through this tunnel. It was rejuvenated through the Smart City scheme. Then the officials had said that it would be used for programs related to literature but it could not happen. Now the tourism department is taking the responsibility of improving it.
At present, the days of all these buildings are about to change. The tourism department will start its work as soon as the approval is received from the cabinet.